Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on February 9 that the Russian Navy will get two new nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines this summer -- the "Yuri Dolgoruky" and the "Aleksandr Nevsky."

Serdyukov said the "Yuri Dolgoruky" would join the fleet in July and the "Aleksandr Nevsky" in August.

The two submarines are part of Russia's new Borey class. They are to be armed with Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles, which have a range of some 8,000 kilometers.

A third submarine from the Borey class, the "Severodvinsk," should also be ready to join the Russian fleet soon.

Serdyukov said the documents to commission the Bulava system were being formalized and "will be commissioned for the navy this year."